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S. GJWALKER.

0x Yoke.

Patented Aug. 4,1868.

W! rlvesss- TO-LITHCIGHAPNER WASHINGTON. D O.

N, PETERS. PHD

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SYLVESTER G. WALKER, OF OROYDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR T0 HIM- SELF,WILLIAM G. ALLEN AN D ABIJAH POWERS.

Letters Patent No. 80,788, dated August f1, 1868.

I IMPROVEMENT m ADJUSTABLE examines.

Be it known that I,- SYLVESTEB. G. WALKER, of Oroydon, in the county ofSullivan, andState of New Hampshire, have invented a new and usefulImprovementin Adjustable Ox- Yokes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference, markedthereon,.making a part of this specification. I V I Figure 1 is aperspective view of the yoke complete, with my improvement therein.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the yoke in a position inwhich the advantage in leverage is given to theleft-hand or nigh-ox.

Figure 3 is alongitudinal sectional view of the yoke, so adjusted as togive the advantage in leverage to the right-hand or oif-ox.

Figure 4 is a-perspective view of one of the neck-pieces andguide-blocks.

Figure 5 is a top view of the same parts.

Figure 6 is a top view of one of the cap-pieces.

Figure 7 is a view of the draught-staple.

Figure 8 is a loose movable block between the cap-pieces andguide-blocks in the mortise of the beam.

The same letters indicate identical parts in all the figures.

Ais the beam of theyoke. 13B are neck-pieces bearing upon the necks ofthe oxen when in use. 0 C

are cap-pieces covering the mortises or slots M M, in which theguide-blocksD D andthe movable blocks K K slide in advancing to andreceding from the centre draught'block F. The guide-blocks D D should befirmly secured bybolts o1 screws to the neckpieces B B, as seen in figs.4 and 5. A longitudinal sectional view of' the slots M M is representedin figs.2 and 3. a a 0; a are bolts passing through the neck-pieces B B,the

slots M M, and the cap-pieces O C, on the upper side of which they arefastened by their respective nuts,

as seen in fig. 1. By means of these bolts and the cap-pieces O C, theneck-pieces B B are bung to the beam A, thus superseding theiuse of ironbands heretofore used for the purpose, thereby securing greaterlightness to' th e yoke, and rendering the movements of the neck-piecesB 13, toward and from the draught-block F, easier and more sure, andrelieving the movableparts of the yoke of much of the frictionoccasioned by the devices for the same purpose heretofore used.

IE is the advantage-ring, attached to the centre dranght-block F by thepinion or axis 2, on which it revolves. The centre-block F is firmlyfastened to the beam A by bolts and their nuts, 0 c c a, as seen in fig.1,

on the upper surface of the beam A. G G are levers or arms, each ofwhich is attached, at one end, to one of the neck-pieces 'B B by thebolts d d, and at the other end to the advantage-ring E-by the screws ee', on

which they partially turn, as the'ring E revolves in one direction orthe other, as seen in figs. 1, 2, and 3. The bolts d d and the axle aredesigned to be on a liuewith each other in the construction of the yoke.ff are female screws, in the periphery of the ring E, designed forthereception of the male screw e, by which device a change in thelev'erageot' the ring may be effected within the limits of nearlyhalfits diameter, according to the numberand position of the female screwsupon its periphery. H is the draught-staple, passing through thecentre-block F and the beam A, and is firmly confined, by means of nuts,on the upper side of the beam. I is the'draug'ht-ring- K K (one of whichis shown in fig. 8) are loose, movable blocks, placed between the'boltsa a a-a and the cap-pieces C C and guide-blocks D D, and slide in theslots M M, and are designed to give strengthfs'tahility,and ease ofmotion to the yoke,-when -it is used as an adjustable yoke, that is tosay,

when the neck-pieces B B and their appendages are allowed to slide toand from the centre-block F. To secure this sliding motion of theadjustable parts of the yoke, that is to say, the neck-pieces B B andtheir appendages, theb'locks K K should alittlc more than fill thespaces in the slots M M, between the guide-blocks D D and the cap-piecesC C.

L L L L are apertures, for the reception of the bows by which the oxenare confined to the yoke. "b b b, &c., are bolts, which pass throughtheheam A and other parts of the yoke, and are designed to give strengthand firmness to the yoke and the particular parts through which theypass.

My improvement consists, first, in hanging the neck-pieces B B to-thebeam A by means of the guideblocks D D, the bolts a a a a, and thecap-pieces C O, as shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings; second,in the device of the advantagering E, connected by the arms G G with theneck-pieces B B, as above described and shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3 ofthe drawings, by which one ox is enabled to gain an advantage ofleverage or beam over the otherox, as the nature of the work in whichthey are employed may require; third,'in a method by which the oxen maybe firmly confined at points equidistant from the centre draught-pointor block F, or either ox may be confined at any given points notequidistant from the centre-block F, which the revolution of theadvantage-ring E will permit, that is to say, the leverage of the oxenmay be made equal or unequal, as

may be desired. This I accomplish bythe removal of the blocks K K fromthe slots M M, adjusting the neckpieces 13 B- at the'points desired, andfirmly confining them by screwing down tightly the cap-pieces G C uponthebeam A, v

I construct my improved yoke of the usual length, and adjust the size ordiameter of the advantage-ring E and the length of the arms G Gaccording to the amount of the reciprocating motion which I desire togive to the neck-pieces B B.

In ordinary yokes, the advantage-ring E should have a diameter of' seveninches, and the arms G G a lcn th of ten inches each and attached at twoinches from the ends of the neckieces. This will -ive a g 7 P greciprocating motion to the neck-piecesB B of about six inches on eachside of the centre-block F, or twelve inches in the whole; and thisspace may be varied in'proportion' to the variation given to theleverage of the advantage-ring E, by attaching the ends of the arms G Gat points on the periphery of the ring E nearer or more distant from.eachother. As seen in fig. 1, these points of attachment are nearesteach other, and of course the spaces on either side of the centre-blockF are reduced. If the end of the arm G were confined at f, it would givea space on either side o f the centre-block nearly equal to the diameterof the ring E. The arms G G should be made of sufiicient length toprevent the neck-pieces B- B from approaching the centrebloek F nearerthan three-fourths'of an inch, in order to prevent the ears of the oxenfrom being pinched.

Having described the'construction of my improved yoke, I now proceed toset forth the manner in which it may be used and operated. In manykindsof-work, for instance, in plowing upon side-hills, it is desirable togive the advantage in draught to one ox or the other, and that thisadvantage should be varied as the work may require. When the nigh oxworks upon the upper side of the furrow, he needs the advantage, and, of

, course, the 0d ox needs it when he is in that relation with thefurrow. The nature of theground andthe movewhich will give thcdesiredadvantage.

ments of the oxen will cause the yoke constantly to adjust itself, soasto give the advantage to the ox that needs it. Thus, in fig. 1, theyoke is represented in a position whichwill give an equal leverage tothe oxen; in 2, it is representedin a position which gives the-advantageto the nigh ex; and, in fig. 3, it is represented in a position whichgives theadvantage to the off ex. The positions of each ox in referenceto the centre-block F, in actual labor, will of course be constantlychanging, according to the nature of the work and ground, within thelimits of the reciprocating motions of the neck-pieces B 13, thusconstantly varying the leverage which each ox possesses.

In plowing-or doing other work on level ground, the strength of the oxenbeing equal, it is then desirable to give them an equal leverage on theyoke. This I accomplish by removing the movable blocks K K from theslots M M, adjusting the neck-pieces 13-13 at any desirable pointsequidistant from the centre-block'F, and then confining the neck-piecesfirmly in place upon the beam A by tightly screwing down the cap-piecesG C. If, in consequence of inequality in strength, it is desirable vtogive one ex a permanent advantage over the other, it can be accomplished'by confining, in the manner before stated, each neck-piece at a pointupon the beam Having above described the construction and operation ofmy improved ox-yoke', what I claim, and desire ta secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The method of hanging the neck-pieces B B to the beam A, by meansof-the bolts a a, a a thc guideblocks D I), the slots M M, and thecap-pieces C G, as above described.

2. The advantage-ring E, in combination with the levers G G, constructedand operating as above described.

3. The method of making the neck-pieces B B stationary at any givenpoints, equidistant or not -equidistant from the centre-block F, withinthe limits of the reciprocating motions of the saidneck-pieces, byremoving the blocks K Kfrom the.slots M M, and screwing down tightly thecap-pieces C 0 upon the beam A, as above described. I

.Oroydon, New Hampshire, February 6, 1868.

SYLVESTER G. WALKER.

Witnesses:

H. G. Cameron, 1 ED'MUND BURKE.

